Multifunction light controller equipped with localized control

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method allow end users to interactively create complex lighting patterns by remote control. Applications include decorative lighting, landscape lighting, signage, or advertising platforms. A lighting control system can be equipped with sensors that can receive remote control signals from a variety of different sources, and route the control signals to modulate receptacles coupled to different lighting circuits, thereby independently controlling multiple light arrays to achieve separate light patterns, or to coordinate different lighting effects. The control signals can independently energize localized groups of lamps to provide enhanced lighting effects, while using significantly less wire material. Interactive remote control can be provided via a mobile computing device such as a smart phone running a customized program. In one embodiment, the remote control device communicates selections to a Bluetooth®-equipped speaker to produce sound-controlled lighting effects.

RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/785,967, filed on Mar. 14, 2013,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure pertains to control of lighting systems anddevices, and more specifically, to various control modes for creatingdecorative light patterns.

2. Description of the Related Art

The lighting industry is experiencing a renaissance, driven partly bythe proliferation of lower power LED light sources, and the applicationof digital controllers to such low-power lighting systems. It is nowpossible to fine tune the color, brightness, and timing of lightingarrangements with great accuracy, thus offering a variety of lightingdesign choices that has not been possible in the past.

By way of illustration, decorative lighting elements (e.g., strands ofholiday lights such as Christmas lights) historically were caused toblink on and off by intermittently including in a lighting circuit ahigh-value resistor, thus blocking current flow downstream to the stringof light bulbs. This was accomplished by hard-wiring a “special” controlbulb into the circuit that was pre-set to switch on and off at a certainfrequency. Such a lighting system is an example of anon-user-programmable system because (a) the only decorative effectoption is “blinking” (b) the user must choose between “always blinking”and “never blinking,” by either installing the special bulb or not, and(c) the blinking frequency is fixed, not adjustable.

An alternative way to create light patterns using a light array is todirectly control the power at an outlet receptacle. Thus, instead ofvarying the load voltage or load current locally within the circuit, thepower supply itself can be varied via a hard-wired or a pre-programmedcontrol signal. A power control signal may be supplied by, for example,a programmable controller. The controller can be programmed using anEPROM (electrically programmable read-only memory), or a similarprogrammable integrated circuit chip, to cycle through a prescribed setof signals to produce a sequence of light patterns. Or, the controllercan modulate the power supply according to an input signal from anotherdevice so that, for example, light patterns can be created in responseto sounds or musical rhythms while music is played simultaneously from aradio or a playback device. (see U.S. Pat. No. 7,728,216).

What is needed is an apparatus that removes limitations of existingpre-programmed or hard-wired lighting system controllers in order tooffer better control of advanced creative lighting features to end userssuch as individual consumers, businesses, advertising entities, and thelike.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The apparatus and method disclosed permit end users to create complexlight patterns by remote control. The end user has the freedom tocontrol a multi-functional lighting system by creating a customizedprogram, modifying a set of pre-programmed instructions, orinteractively customizing light patterns in real time. According to oneembodiment, one or more light arrays can be independently modulated byseparate control signals. Such a lighting control system can also beequipped with sensors that can receive remote control signals from avariety of different sources, and route the control signals to modulate,for example, the power supplied to different lighting circuits, therebyindependently controlling multiple light arrays to achieve separateeffects, or to coordinate different lighting effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a multi-function lighting displayapparatus that includes a controller and three receptacles, according toa non-limiting illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary control circuit thatcan be implemented as part of the controller shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary control circuitincluding a sound control stage that can be implemented as part of thecontroller shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4A-4C are pictorial views of three light arrays beingindependently activated within a multi-function lighting displayapparatus, according to a non-limiting illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing generalized steps of a high-levelmethod disclosed.

FIGS. 6-8 show a series of pictorial views of an exemplary light array,in which different subsets of lights are activated by the controllershown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are circuit diagrams showing a comparison betweenconventional (prior art) and new decorative light array configurations.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are a pictorial plan views of two exemplary remotecontrol devices that an end user could employ to communicate controlinformation to the lighting display apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a pictorial plan view of the back of the remote controldevice shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12A is a pictorial view of a multi-function lighting displayapparatus having a single receptacle, wherein the apparatus includes theremote control device shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 12B is a pictorial view of one embodiment of a multi-functionlighting display apparatus having three secondary controllers, whereinthe apparatus includes the remote control device shown in FIGS. 10 and11.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a decorative light array system, accordingto one embodiment, in which each light array is connected to the maincontroller via a secondary controller, and the controllers are equippedwith wireless communication devices.

FIG. 14 is an exemplary screen shot of an interactive smart phoneapplication used as a remote controller for creating complex lightingeffects, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 15 is an alternative exemplary screen shot of an interactive smartphone application used as a remote controller for selecting differentcombinations of lighting effects, pre-programmed as built-in functions.

FIG. 16 is an exemplary screen shot of an interactive smart phoneapplication that allows a user to create a programmed sequence oflighting effects.

FIG. 17A is a system diagram of a sound-controllable multi-functionlighting system, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 17B shows additional circuitry contained in the controller of thesound-controllable multi-function lighting system shown in FIG. 17A.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram showing steps of a method disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a basic multi-function lighting displayapparatus 100. The lighting display apparatus 100 includes one or more(female) electric receptacles 102, 104, and 106, a (male) power sourceplug 108, and a controller 110 having a controller housing 111. Thepower source plug can be fashioned according to an ordinary UL plugdesign. The receptacles can also be fashioned according to commonly-usedstandards for low-power lighting, for example, having an electricalcurrent rating of 1.6 Amps. The receptacle 102 is coupled to thecontroller 110 by a connector 112; the receptacle 104 is coupled to thecontroller 110 by a connector 114; and the receptacle 106 is coupled tothe controller 110 by a connector 116. The power source plug 108likewise is coupled to the controller 110 by a source power connector118. The power source plug 108 is also coupled to an electric power gridto supply each of the power receptacles 102, 104, 106. The power sourceplug 108 can connect, for example, directly to a 120 V/60 A wall outlet.Other embodiments can substitute alternative power sources for the powergrid such as, for example, a source of solar energy.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the receptacles 102, 104,and 106 are power receptacles and the connectors 112, 114, 116, and 118are power cord wires (e.g., 18 gauge double-ply wire), the powerconnector 118 measuring about 24-60 inches long while the three powerconnectors 112, 114, and 116 are each shorter, about 6-12 inches long.However, other embodiments are not so limited. For example, miniaturizedpower connectors 112, 114, 116, and 118 can be located inside thecontroller housing 111, and the receptacles 102, 104, and 106 can bemounted on the outside of the controller housing 111 to provide a morecompact form factor for the overall lighting display apparatus 100. Theform factor of the controller 110 shown in FIG. 1, however, is designedto keep the size of the controller 110 small and lightweight.

In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 110 is electrically coupledbetween the source power connector 118 and the power connectors 112,114, 116 so as to modulate the electric power delivered to each of thereceptacles 102, 104, and 106. The controller 110 is generally a devicethat includes electronic components to allow for separately controllingpower levels and timing of power delivery to each of the receptacles102, 104, and 106. Components within controller 110 can include, forexample, digital electronic components, analog-to-digital (ND)converters, digital-to-analog (D/A) converters, or analog components.Typically these components are configured as integrated circuit (IC)components or chips that can be mounted on one or more IC boards (notshown) located within the housing 111. In the embodiment shown, powerconnectors 112, 114, 116, and 118 pass through the housing 111 fordirect connection to an IC board inside the controller 110. Thecontroller 110 can also contain one or more transformers to convert thesupply power from 120 V AC to 12 V DC to power components on the ICboard. The different embodiments of the disclosed apparatus arerepresented by different control mechanisms, or arrangements ofdifferent electronic components within the controller 110.

Although three power receptacles are shown in FIG. 1, other embodimentsmay include less than three receptacles or more than three receptacles,and the receptacles 102, 104, and 106 can accommodate signals otherthan, or in addition to, a power signal. In such embodiments, thecontroller 110 can be programmed to control the receptacles in otherways in addition to providing power control. Accordingly, instructionsgoverning the IC chip within the controller 110 can be can modified tomodulate these other signals in addition to modulating the power signal.Furthermore, the instructions governing the IC chip can be provided inadvance (e.g., pre-set using a timing device), or remotely through awireless connection, giving users more flexibility in creating differenteffects.

A schematic for an exemplary control circuit 200 within the controller110 is shown in FIG. 2. The control circuit 200 includes powerdistribution stages 202, 204, and 206, an IC controller chip 210,sensors (not shown), and a controller input line 230. The powerdistribution stages distribute power to each of the receptacles 102,104,and 106, respectively. The IC controller chip 210 can be, for example,an EEPROM (erasable, electrically programmable read-only memory) chip,or a processor chip that executes user-selectable instructions.According to one embodiment, the EEPROM controller chip 210 can behard-coded with a set of instructions to produce desired light patternsby modulating power at each of the receptacles 102, 104, and 106.According to other embodiments, the controller chip 210 can receivehard-wired instructions via user-operated switches, or the controllerchip 210 can receive user-programmed instructions communicated via aremote receptor device.

Components within the controller chip 210 can further include electronicsensors 220 that act as remote receptor devices to detect wirelesscommunication signals such as infrared signals, radio frequency (RF)signals, microwave signals, and the like. Use of electronic sensors 220allows for remote control of the power supplied to the receptacles 102,104, and 106, including recognizing wireless signals, and receivinginstructions provided by an end user via one or more remote controldevices, as shown below in FIG. 10. Information from the sensors 220 canbe input into the controller chip 210 via controller input line 230,which can be configured as a data channel. User-provided instructionscan be downloaded, saved in a memory within the controller, used to burnan EEPROM, pre-set to activate at a selected time, or they can influencepower control signals in real time.

In one embodiment, additional components can be added to the controlcircuit 200, as shown in FIG. 3. For example, a sound-enhanced controlcircuit 300 can be used to control the power supplied to the receptacles102, 104, and 106 by further including a microphone stage 301 and soundinput stages 302, 304, and 306. The sound input stages 302, 304, and 306are electrically coupled to the receptacles 102, 104, and 106,respectively. An output signal 308 from the microphone stage 301 can beelectrically coupled to drive each of the sound input stages 302, 304,and 306 so that lighting effects are created in response to sound input,e.g., music.

The receptacles 102, 104, and 106 can be coupled to conventional lightarrays 402, 404, and 406, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, suchthat the controller 110 can make an ordinary light set capable ofachieving different creative lighting effects such as special “chasingeffects.” The coupling can be a wired connection in which eachreceptacle receives a male power connector attached to the light array.Typically each receptacle 102, 104, and 106 is an AC (alternatingcurrent) power receptacle, but embodiments are not so limited.Alternatively, the receptacles can be DC (direct current) receptacles.The receptacles 102, 104, and 106 can be in the form of conventionaltwo-prong plug receptacles, optionally accepting a third GFI(ground-fault interrupt) prong, which is commonly required to meetsafety guidelines for use in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors or in otherwet environments. The receptacles 102, 104, and 106 can be adapted toreceive other types of connectors capable of transmitting electric powerand/or other controllable electrical signals to a load (e.g., a 12 Vcomputer power plug, a USB connector, or any one of the many availablepower re-charging connectors used for electronic communications devicessuch as cell phones.)

FIGS. 4A-4C each show light arrays 402, 404, and 406 that can be pluggedinto receptacles 102, 104, and 106, respectively. In the top frame, FIG.4A, the light array 402 is activated while the light arrays 404 and 406remain off; in the middle frame, FIG. 4B, the light array 404 isactivated while the light arrays 402 and 406 remain off; in the bottomframe, FIG. 4C, the light array 406 is activated while the light arrays402 and 404 remain off. Thus, it is explicitly shown that power suppliedto each one of the light arrays 402, 404, and 406 can be controlledindependently of the other light arrays. As a result, each light arraycan be activated individually or in coordination with the other lightarrays.

Each light array 402, 404, 406 in turn comprises a set of lamps 408 thatcan be low-power LED (light-emitting diode) lamps, but embodiments arenot so limited. The lamps 408 can contain fluorescent elements,incandescent bulbs, phosphorescent light sources, fiber-optic elements,LCDs, or similar lighting elements. The lamps 408 can also have fixed orvariable color and brightness characteristics. Furthermore, lamps can behoused in a wide variety of decorative light fixtures and lawnornaments, placed indoors or outdoors, incorporated into architecturalfeatures, used in homes, offices, commercial establishments, landscapes,gardens, furnishings, signs, billboards or other advertising platforms,and the like, for creative effect.

FIG. 5 illustrates a high level method 500 of operating themulti-function lighting display apparatus, with emphasis on itsadvantageous features. In step 502, light arrays 402, 404, and 406 areconnected to the receptacles 102, 104, 106. Then, in step 504, electricpower at each of the receptacles 102, 104, and 106 is independentlymodulated by control signals that are user-selectable.

FIGS. 6-8 show a series of snapshots of an exemplary multi-circuitdecorative light array 602 in which subsets of the individual lamps 408can be illuminated in different patterns according to user-selectableinstructions from the controller 110. For example, the series inaccordance with user-selectable instructions from the controller 110 asshown illuminates the array 602 of lamps 408 in succession, each of theindividual lamps 408 remaining on until the entire array is illuminated,thus creating a “filling” pattern. FIG. 6 shows a first snapshot 600 ata first time t₁, in which a first subset of lamps 610 is illuminated;FIG. 7 shows a second snapshot 700 at a second time t₂, in which asecond, larger, subset of lamps 710, which includes the first subset oflamps 610, is illuminated; and FIG. 8 shows a snapshot 800 at a thirdtime t₃, in which a complete set of lamps 810 is illuminated. If eachsuccessive individual lamp 408 or subset of lamps 610, 710, 810 were toflash for a short time instead of remaining illuminated, a “chasing”pattern would be produced. Likewise, if three or more different lightarrays, such as those shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, are energized in succession,a chasing effect can also be produced.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show how construction of the multi-circuit decorativelight array 602 differs from that of existing (prior art) light arraysto produce special lighting patterns such as the one shown in FIGS. 6-8.With reference to FIG. 9A, a schematic of an existing light array 900 isshown, the array being arranged as a current divider circuit in whicheach of four strands 901, 902, 903, and 904, of individual lamps, 911,912, 913, and 914, respectively, is accessible by an electrical couplingdevice (e.g., wire segment) 916, 918, 920, and 922, respectively. Lamps911, 912, 913, and 914 are spaced apart along each of the wire segments916, 918, 920, and 922. The overall light array 900 is electricallycoupled by a current supply wire 924 electrically connected in parallelto each of the strands 901, 902, 903, and 904. When the strands 901,902, 903, and 904 are aligned and twisted into one elongated strand, thespaced-apart lamp arrangement shown in FIG. 9A is thus capable ofcausing alternate flashing along the light strands, but not localizedflashing of neighboring groups of lamps.

With reference to FIG. 9B, a schematic of a multi-circuit decorativelight array 950 according to the present disclosure shows a currentdivider circuit having four spatially localized groups 951, 952, 953,and 954, of individual lamps, 961, 962, 963, and 964, respectively,wherein each spatially localized group is accessible by a separateelectrically parallel wire segment 966, 968, 970, and 972, respectively.The overall light array 950 is electrically coupled by a current supplywire 974 connected in parallel to each of the spatially localized groups951, 952, 953, and 954.

Unlike lamps 911, 912, 913, and 914 shown in FIG. 9A, lamps 961, 962,963, and 964 in the light array 950 are not spaced apart along each ofthe wires 966, 968, 970, and 972. Instead, they are adjacent to oneanother (localized) such that when the wire segments 966, 968, 970, and972 are aligned, and independently energized, the arrangement shown inFIG. 9B permits each group of localized lamps to flash together, causingeach group to appear as a much more prominent light source. Therefore,when effects such as “chasing” are programmed via controller 110, thechasing effect is perceived to be more spectacular than what isachievable with the conventional arrangement shown in FIG. 9A.

Another advantage of the light array 950 is that such a localizedspatial arrangement of lamps uses about 30% less wire material than theconventional light array 900. The light array 950 can be used in variousarray configurations, not limited to the linear (one-dimensional) lightarray shown. These alternative configurations include, for example,two-dimensional light arrays such as net lights and icicle lights, aswell as garland lights.

In conjunction with the sensors 220 deployed within, or connected to,the controller 110, the “filling” or “chasing” patterns described abovecan, for example, illuminate a walkway or a garden path to a residenceas a pedestrian progresses toward a building entrance. In response tosignals from the sensors 220, light array patterns such as filling andchasing patterns, for example, can be used generally to trace theprogress of a moving object, or to provide a luminous representation ofan object or a process, toward a destination.

According to certain embodiments, a specific light pattern for eachlight array can be either hard-wired, pre-programmed, or selected andcommunicated in real time to the controller 110. For example, differentlight patterns can be user-selected using a mechanical switch (e.g., apush button switch, a toggle switch, a rotary switch, a dial, or thelike) attached to the controller 110 or directly connected to thecontroller 110. In accordance with more complex embodiments describedherein, the array 602 can be user-programmed to create and modify manydifferent lighting effects by activating different lamps at differenttimes, speeds, intensities, and so forth to produce many different lightpatterns. Some common patterns include, in addition to filling andchasing, twinkling, blinking, flashing, color fading, color changing,dimming, and the like, as well as combinations of different types ofeffects. Complex light displays (e.g., seven different levels of fading)are thus facilitated by the features that provide for independentcontrol of the different light arrays 402, 404, and 406 via thedifferent receptacles 102, 104, and 106, and for user-programmablecontrol.

With reference to FIG. 10A, 10B, and FIG. 11, according to oneembodiment, a remote control device 1000 can be equipped with anindicator light 1010, an antenna 1020, and one or more control buttons1030 and 1040 to facilitate directing the controller 110. The remotecontrol device 1000 can further be equipped with an infrared transmitter(not shown). The remote control device 1000 generally allows an end userto submit instructions to the controller 110 from a remote location,when the controller 110 is equipped with sensors that are capable ofdetecting signals from the remote control device 1000. The remotecontroller range is typically up to about 50 m. The antenna 1020 can beused to send relatively low-power signals at short range (similar to atelevision remote control device). Or, the antenna 1020 can be used tosend higher power RF or microwave signals at a longer range.Alternatively, the antenna 1020 can operate at other electromagneticwavelengths. Control buttons 1030 and 1040 can be programmed, forexample, to download instruction sets to the controller 110 to createcomplex lighting display patterns by activating the different lightarrays according to the user's creative inspiration. More specifically,the remote control device 1000 can be implemented as, for example, anetworked computing device e.g., a laptop computer, a tablet computer, asmart phone, or a cell phone, optionally equipped with a WiFi® or aBluetooth® communication device for high-speed short-range transmission.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 10B, an exemplary remote controldevice 1050 can have a set of control buttons including, for example, apower button 1060, a function button 1070, a dimmer button 1080, and asensor button 1090. The power button 1060 can be used to toggle theremote control on and off. The function button 1070 can be used toselect a lighting display pattern from a set of pre-programmed lightingdisplay patterns (e.g., the display patterns 1120 as described below).The dimmer button 1080 can be used to select (e.g., reduce) a fadingrate for the light intensity by repeatedly activating the dimmer button1080, or by holding down the dimmer button 1080. The sensor button 1090can be used to toggle the electronic sensor(s) 220 on and off.Alternatively, the control buttons 1060, 1070, 1080, and 1090 can behard-wired or programmed to control other aspects of the lightingdisplay apparatus 100.

FIG. 11 shows the back 1100 of the exemplary remote control device 1000,programmed to provide a menu 1110 of sixteen different lighting displaypatterns 1120 for arrays each configured with light bulbs of a differentcolor; for example, three arrays 402, 404, and 406 that have red, white,and blue bulbs, respectively. Each of the sixteen patterns can beselected using control buttons 1030 and 1040 shown in FIG. 10. Forexample, lighting pattern choices 1, 2, and 3 can cause each array to beon continuously. Lighting pattern choices 4-14 can provide differentchasing, twinkling, and fading patterns by independently modulating thethree receptacles 102, 104, and 106 to which the red, white, and bluearrays are electrically coupled. If the lighting display apparatus 100is configured according to FIG. 9B, in which multi-circuit decorativelight arrays 950 allow more localized control, different colors can beaccessed and controlled within the same array. For example, individuallamps 961 could be all red, individual lamps 962 could all be blue, andso on. In a system that has additional receptacles to accommodateadditional colored arrays (e.g., 901-904), or additional localizedgroups of lamps (e.g., 951-954), for example, an array or group oforange lamps and an array or group of purple lamps, lighting pattern 15is set up to control these additional colored lamps. Lighting pattern 16can be programmed, for example, to cycle sequentially through the otherlighting pattern choices 1-15, or, alternatively, to activate the otherpatterns according to another programmed sequence, or to activate theother patterns in a random order.

FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 13 illustrate various multi-controller embodimentsthat employ the remote control device 1000 and can be offered asdifferent commercial packages. For example, a single light array package1200, as shown in FIG. 12A, can include a single main controller 110having a single receptacle (e.g., 102), or multiple receptacles (e.g.,102, 104, and 106, not shown). Alternatively, a first multi-controllerpackage 1210, as shown in FIG. 12B, can come equipped with a pluralityof main controllers 110 (three shown), each main controller 110 having asingle receptacle 102, and each main controller 110 being activated bysignals from a common remote control device 1000.

FIG. 13 illustrates another alternative embodiment, a secondmulti-controller package 1300, that introduces a plurality of secondarycontrollers 1312, 1314, and 1316 that can be connected between thereceptacles 102, 104, and 106, respectively, and the main controller110. The secondary controllers 1312, 1314, and 1316 can communicate withthe main controller 110 via wired communication paths 1322, 1324, and1326, respectively, or via wireless communication paths. The secondarycontrollers 1312, 1314, and 1316 are each subject to user control viathe remote control device 1000. The remote control device 1000 may, inturn, be able to communicate via a wireless path 1318 with a networksuch as the Internet or a cloud-based system 1320, to exchangeinformation with a Web site associated with the manufacturer of thesecond multi-controller package 1300.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 13 can generally includeany or all of the features described herein in the context of a singlecontroller system. These features include, but are not limited to, theuse of sensors, pre-programmed lighting patterns, user-configurableprograms, localized control, and the like.

Interactive user control of a multi-function lighting display using amobile device can be facilitated by a mobile application, shown byexample in FIG. 14, as being implemented on a smart phone 1400. Thesmart phone implementation can be used as an alternative to the remotecontrol device 1000. A smart phone screen shot 1402 can include settingssuch as, for example, a color slide bar 1404, a frequency slide bar1406, a brightness slide bar 1407, and a menu of light pattern choices1408, which provide a convenient user interface for selecting desiredlight patterns. User selections thus entered into the mobile device canbe interpreted and transmitted to the controller 110. For example, auser 1410 can select from a continuum of light colors using the colorslide bar 1404, and likewise, from a continuum of illumination timingfrequencies (e.g., flash times) using the frequency slide bar 1406, andfrom a continuum of illumination intensities using the brightness slidebar 1407. The menu of light pattern choices 1308 can include, forexample, lighting effects such as “blink”, “chase”, “fill”, and“twinkle.” Another choice can include a “random” illumination pattern.The menu 1408 itself can be user-selectable from among a larger set ofchoices offered on a different screen, as part of the mobile applicationprogram.

The smart phone screen shot 1402 can also include mode setting optionssuch as, for example, a “sensor” mode and a “program” mode. The sensormode can be programmed, for example, to allow the smart phone 1400 tocontrol the light patterns via a remote sensor (e.g., awirelessly-coupled loudspeaker). The program mode can provide anopportunity for a user to design additional customized illuminationpatterns as alternatives to the sixteen pre-programmed choices shown inFIG. 11. According to an exemplary embodiment, the program mode allowscreation of nine additional user-defined programs. These user-definedprograms can be set up through a designated Web site. For eachuser-defined program, the user can select from among the sixteendifferent built-in light pattern functions described above for theremote control device 1000, which can also be made accessible on the Website. Alternatively, the sixteen built-in functions can be set up asindicated in Table 1. The user can construct a program by specifying asequence and duration for each desired function using control barsdisplayed on a programming Web page. The duration of each selectedfunction can be specified, for example, within the range of 0-60seconds, by adjusting a duration control bar.

TABLE 1 ID Function (a) flashing from right to left (b) flashing fromleft to right (c) filling & flashing from right to left and unlit fromleft to right (d) filling & flashing from left to right and unlit fromright to left (e) 2 times flashing from right to left and then filling(f) left 2 sets & right 1 set alternate twinkling (g) filling & fadingfrom left to right and unlit from right to left (h) filling from left toright and then filling from right to left (i) steady burning (j)twinkling (50% out only) (k) random twinkling (l) two direction flashing(m) progressively faster twinkling until steady burning (n) filling &twinkling from right to left and unlit from left to right (o) fading in& out (p) combination

FIG. 15 shows a screen shot of an exemplary function screen 1500 of aninteractive smart phone application used as a remote control device forselecting different combinations of lighting effects, pre-programmed asbuilt-in functions. For example, a user can select a function from afunction menu 1501, displayed in FIG. 15 as a simulated rotating wheelof functions 1-16 (e.g., “Function 8” as indicated in the center of thescreen shot 1500). The selected function generally determines a lightpattern, however additional functions selectable form the function menu1501 can include a sensor mode and one or more custom programs input bya user that may define a sequence of multiple multiple associated lightpatterns. Once a function is selected, the user can then modify one ormore associated light patterns by selecting a light intensity and alight flashing frequency. For example, the light intensity can beselected by repeatedly touching a brightness increaser 1502 or abrightness decreaser 1504. A selected brightness 1506 can be indicated,for example, by a number between 1 and 100. Similarly, the user canselect a light flashing frequency by repeatedly touching a frequencyincreaser 1508 or a frequency decreaser 1510. A selected frequency 1512can be indicated, for example, by a number between 1 and 100. Repeatoption buttons 1514, 1516, and 1518 can be selected to repeat a singlepattern, repeat a sequence of patterns, or to shuffle differentpatterns, respectively. Playback controls can be used to navigate asequence of patterns by advancing to a next pattern (1520), returning toa previous pattern (1522), playing back the sequence, or stoppingplayback of the sequence (1524). A back button 1525 returns to aprevious screen. A program button 1526 selects a program mode andadvances to a programming screen described below.

FIG. 16 shows a screen shot of an exemplary program mode screen 1600 inan interactive smart phone application that allows a user to programdifferent combinations of lighting effects. A program can be defined bya sequence of up to nine program segments 1602 chosen from a lightingpattern menu 1604 displayed as a rotating wheel of lighting patternssuch as, but not limited to, those listed in Table 1. Additionallighting patterns can include chasing right, chasing left, cascadingright, cascading left, stacking, reverse chasing, section shading,steady on, flashing, rhythmic stacking, rhythmic flashing, sectionflashing, fade in, fade out, and a multi-light show. A duration for eachprogram segment 1602 can be selected using a time interval scroll bar1606, indicated by a number between 1 and 60, which can have units ofseconds or minutes, for example. A program title 1608 can be entered bythe user, and the program can be saved in memory. Once the program issaved in memory, it can be automatically added to the function menu 1501selectable from the rotating wheel on the function screen 1500. A deletebutton 1610 can be used to eraser the displayed program 1608 frommemory.

In another embodiment (see FIGS. 17A and 17B) that uses the remotecontrol device 1000, or the smart phone 1400 in sensor mode, a user canbe provided with the capability to remotely influence the controller 110using a sensor, for example, a sound sensor such as a loudspeaker. FIG.17A shows a sound-controllable multi-function lighting system 1700,which includes the remote control device 1000, equipped with an antenna1702, and programmed with Bluetooth® software, a powered speaker 1704equipped with an internal Bluetooth® receiving device (not shown), andthe controller 110 configured with the sound-enhanced control circuit300, containing a microphone 1708.

Operation of the sound-controllable multi-function lighting system 1700entails a user of the remote control device 1000 or smart phone 1400engaging the Bluetooth® software to establish a short-range wirelessBluetooth® communication channel 1706 between the antenna 1702 and thespeaker 1704. The user selects a sound track (e.g., a musical piece orsong), and communicates the soundtrack to the speaker 1704 via thewireless Bluetooth® communication channel 1706. The sound track can beselected, for example, from a user's digital music library that can bestored on the smart phone 1400. Alternatively, the sound track can beselected from a list presented on a Web page. In response, the speaker1704 broadcasts the received soundtrack. If the controller 110,containing control circuit 300, is located in the general vicinity ofthe speaker, the microphone 1708 can detect the broadcast soundtrack andmodulate the output signal 308 to the lights in response to the pitchesand rhythms of the music on the soundtrack. Some embodiments can use aWiFi® communication link in place of Bluetooth®, for longer rangewireless communication. The speaker option can be added to any of thedifferent commercial embodiment packages described above.

In another exemplary embodiment, sensors 220 can include devices thatare adapted to sense environmental conditions such as temperature,humidity, barometric pressure, and the like, and act as feedback controlmechanisms. Such devices can be, for example, micro-electromechanical(MEMS) devices. Incorporating such devices would allow a user to thenprogram the controller 110 to associate the sensed conditions withcertain electronic parameters, and to vary power delivery to thereceptacles 102, 104, and 106 based on real-time values of suchparameters, or on a time trend of such parameters. For example, in anillustrative embodiment, the color of lights illuminated within aparticular light array, or the particular array activated, could vary soas to produce blue light in response to sensing a cold ambienttemperature, to yellow light, indicating warm, to red light, indicatinghot, either at discrete levels or along a color continuum. Such a schemecould be coded into a mobile computing application (e.g., an “app” for asmart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a cell phone) anddownloaded remotely from a wireless network such as the Internet.Parameters such as, for example, the frequency with which the colors ofthe lights change in response to a new set of temperature data, can beuser-specified via the mobile application.

FIG. 18 depicts a sequence of steps in a method 1800 of controlling asupply of electric power to a lighting system comprising multiple lightarrays. The method 1800 allows for end-user control of the multipleindependent light arrays, including remote control of multiple lightingfunctions. In step 1802, a lighting system is connected to a receptacle.In step 1804, the receptacle is modulated by a control signal. In step1806, the control signal can be switched among one or more user-definedsettings, allowing the end user of the lighting system to drive theoverall lighting display.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to providefurther embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent applicationpublications, U.S. patent application, foreign patents, foreign patentapplication and non-patent publications referred to in thisspecification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet areincorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of theembodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of thevarious patents, application and publications to provide yet furtherembodiments.

These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of theabove-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, theterms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specificembodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should beconstrued to include all possible embodiments along with the full scopeof equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, theclaims are not limited by the disclosure.

1. A method of creating a multi-function lighting display, the methodcomprising: electrically coupling electrically parallel segments of alight array circuit, each segment joining a group of spatially localizedlamps, to a plurality of electric receptacles; and separately modulatingeach one of the receptacles via a set of independent user-selectablecontrol signals.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein themodulating causes the light arrays to produce decorative lightingeffects, separately or in coordination, including one or more offlashing, fading, color changing, twinkling, stacking, cascadingchasing, or combinations thereof.
 3. The method according to claim 1,wherein the modulating each one of the receptacles includes modulatingthe power supplied to the receptacles.
 4. A method of controlling amulti-circuit lighting system having arrays of spatially localizedlamps, the method comprising: connecting the lighting system to areceptacle; modulating the receptacle via a control signal; andswitching the control signal among a plurality of different user-definedsettings.
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the modulating thereceptacle includes modulating power supplied to the receptacle.
 6. Themethod according to claim 4, wherein the different user-defined settingscause the lighting system to produce decorative lighting effectsincluding one or more of flashing, fading, color changing, twinkling,stacking, cascading, chasing, or combinations thereof.
 7. The methodaccording to claim 4, wherein the switching entails manually turning aselector to one of the plurality of different settings.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 4, wherein the switching is activated by a remotecontrol device.
 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the remotecontrol device transmits a wireless signal, including one or more of aninfrared signal, a radio frequency signal, a microwave signal, a WiFi®signal, or a Bluetooth® signal.
 10. The method according to claim 8,wherein the remote control device includes one or more of a mobilecomputing device, a mobile communications device, a Bluetooth® device,or a timing device.
 11. A multi-function lighting display apparatus,comprising: a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle configured toreceive a control signal; a current divider circuit having a pluralityof electrically parallel segments joining groups of lamps, each segmentelectrically coupled to a different receptacle, such that when thesegments are aligned and independently energized, illumination of eachgroup of lamps is spatially localized, and a controller programmed tomodulate independently the control signals according to instructionsprovided by a user.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controlsignal controls power supplied to the receptacle.
 13. The apparatusaccording to claim 11, wherein the instructions are received via aswitch wired to the controller.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 13,wherein the switch is a mechanical selector, including one or more of apush-button, a toggle switch, a rotary knob, or a dial.
 15. Theapparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a switch activatedby a remote control signal, the switch being equipped with sensorsconfigured to receive the remote control signal.
 16. The apparatusaccording to claim 15, wherein the remote control signal is wirelesssignal, including one or more of an infrared signal, a radio frequencysignal, a microwave signal, a WiFi® signal, or a Bluetooth® signal. 17.The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a programmableremote control device including one or more of a mobile computingdevice, a mobile communications device, or a Bluetooth® device.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 17, further comprising: a powered speaker equippedwith a wireless receiver; and a sound-enhanced control circuit withinthe controller, the sound-enhanced control circuit including amicrophone that is responsive to transmissions from the speaker, toinfluence the control signal.
 19. The apparatus according to claim 17,wherein the programmable remote control device is a smart phoneconfigured to execute a smart phone application program that allows theuser to interactively select features of the multi-function lightingdisplay.
 20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the receivedsignals stimulate the controller to modulate the different controlsignals, causing the light array circuits to produce different lightingeffects, separately or in coordination.
 21. The apparatus according toclaim 20, wherein the lighting effects include one or more of flashing,fading, color changing, twinkling, stacking, cascading, or chasing. 22.The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the instructions providedby the user include changing characteristics of the lighting effects,the characteristics including intensity, flashing frequency, chasingspeed, stacking speed, chasing direction, cascading speed, cascadingdirection, color changing parameters, fading rate, rhythmic variations,or combinations thereof.